last year, i became aware of specialty coffee, and then in a truly neurodivergent fashion, got a bit too much into it.
around July, Ksusha was visiting and we went on a trip to Lewes, the home of many craftspeople and the specialty coffee shop Taith. we got served cappuccinos that had this delicate sweet flavour which totally blew our minds. it did not taste like any other cup of coffee, ever.
cut to four months later. i tried a dozen of Taith Coffee’s own roasts and i found it. the one.
thankfully, they sell 36g sample bags for cheap – and they look great too. so the process of finding the one was fun and exciting(unlike dating, amirite)
this is the selection of coffee samples i liked the most. i might never throw these away, they’re too beautiful
around July, Ksusha was visiting and we went on a trip to Lewes, the home of many craftspeople and the specialty coffee shop Taith. we got served cappuccinos that had this delicate sweet flavour which totally blew our minds. it did not taste like any other cup of coffee, ever.
cut to four months later. i tried a dozen of Taith Coffee’s own roasts and i found it. the one.
thankfully, they sell 36g sample bags for cheap – and they look great too. so the process of finding the one was fun and exciting
this is the selection of coffee samples i liked the most. i might never throw these away, they’re too beautiful
❤4
this is the coffee i talked up so much 💅
but obviously, just finding it was not enough. i booked a coffee course at Climpson and Sons, one of the top local roasters, to find out out why specialty so different, exactly.
so let’s break this down.
coffee beans are dried and roasted cherry pits. what? yes! they are not technically beans.
there are many varieties of cherry trees that have suitable pits. Arabica and Robusta are the main ones, but they’re not really like the Royal Gala of coffee farming. they actually have loads of sub-varieties, all very different.
so how do certain sub-varieties become specialty? it’s not even by sub-variety. to qualify, a coffee farm gets its harvest tasted by the people at Specialty Coffee Association, who then score the crop on a 0-100 scale. if it gets over 80 points, the harvest is deemed specialty (and yes, next year a new harvest from the same farm might still flop)
but obviously, just finding it was not enough. i booked a coffee course at Climpson and Sons, one of the top local roasters, to find out out why specialty so different, exactly.
so let’s break this down.
coffee beans are dried and roasted cherry pits. what? yes! they are not technically beans.
there are many varieties of cherry trees that have suitable pits. Arabica and Robusta are the main ones, but they’re not really like the Royal Gala of coffee farming. they actually have loads of sub-varieties, all very different.
so how do certain sub-varieties become specialty? it’s not even by sub-variety. to qualify, a coffee farm gets its harvest tasted by the people at Specialty Coffee Association, who then score the crop on a 0-100 scale. if it gets over 80 points, the harvest is deemed specialty (and yes, next year a new harvest from the same farm might still flop)
❤2
now, the highly graded coffee hits the shelf. why does each type have a different taste?
traditionally, coffee likers would get very particular about the country of origin and the altitude it’s grown at (the fancy MASL number you see on coffee pouches). generally, they say that the higher up it is, the slower it grows and the richer it tastes. but that doesn’t mean lower altitudes are all shit, because it’s also about the environment and the type of the tree. like, a cherry that grew next to oranges will likely taste orangey, which i think is cute.
the more significant things happen after the cherries get harvested.
in order to become enjoyable coffee, the cherries needs to lose sugar. that’s done through fermentation. fermentation didn’t use to be a focal point until recently: the farmers would add yeast and let it sit for a day or two, get sugars washed out and proceed to drying.
but in the recent times, fermentation is where it’s at. you can:
– ferment cherries without air (anaerobic)
– remove the pulp and then ferment (washed)
– experiment with the fermentation containers and yeasts (carbonic maceration anyone?)
– add other stuff like fruit or honey to the fermentation (co-fermentation)
out of all this stuff, co-fermentation is the thing i find the most fascinating. and it’s got its haters who think co-fermented coffee is a simulation and should not be regarded real coffee. what eva.
so my favourite coffee goes through temperature-controlled fermentation with added honey. i actually hate honey, and this may be the only context where it’s acceptable
and here’s a video that shows some of these processing techniques in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZWjpxI194c
traditionally, coffee likers would get very particular about the country of origin and the altitude it’s grown at (the fancy MASL number you see on coffee pouches). generally, they say that the higher up it is, the slower it grows and the richer it tastes. but that doesn’t mean lower altitudes are all shit, because it’s also about the environment and the type of the tree. like, a cherry that grew next to oranges will likely taste orangey, which i think is cute.
the more significant things happen after the cherries get harvested.
in order to become enjoyable coffee, the cherries needs to lose sugar. that’s done through fermentation. fermentation didn’t use to be a focal point until recently: the farmers would add yeast and let it sit for a day or two, get sugars washed out and proceed to drying.
but in the recent times, fermentation is where it’s at. you can:
– ferment cherries without air (anaerobic)
– remove the pulp and then ferment (washed)
– experiment with the fermentation containers and yeasts (carbonic maceration anyone?)
– add other stuff like fruit or honey to the fermentation (co-fermentation)
out of all this stuff, co-fermentation is the thing i find the most fascinating. and it’s got its haters who think co-fermented coffee is a simulation and should not be regarded real coffee. what eva.
so my favourite coffee goes through temperature-controlled fermentation with added honey. i actually hate honey, and this may be the only context where it’s acceptable
and here’s a video that shows some of these processing techniques in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZWjpxI194c
YouTube
The Difference Between Natural and Washed Coffee, 72 hour "Anaerobic" Process Coffee
What's the difference between a Natural and a Washed coffee? What makes coffee anaerobic? How is an Anaerobic Washed different from a regular standard Washed coffee?
During January through March 2021 I lived on a coffee farm in Kona, Hawai'i. Most of my job…
During January through March 2021 I lived on a coffee farm in Kona, Hawai'i. Most of my job…
Forwarded from Post/work | левый акселерационизм
В издательстве HarperCollins в феврале выходит крутая автофикшн книжка Anon: The Future of Love and Friendship in the Age of AI Кайи Хагель, цифровой антропологини и культурного прогнозиста, соавторки книги «Girl Positive» и соучредитель и редактор журнала о будущем SOFA. Когда Кайе Хагель предложили опробовать новое приложение с искусственным интеллектом, разработанное программисткой по имени Ред Рэббит, она с энтузиазмом согласилась, несмотря на предупреждение: «Это приложение не похоже на другие». Круто, что выходит много текстов про исследования и эксперименты с ИИ-отношениями, дестигматизирующий новый аффективный и экзистенциальный опыт.
Аннотация:
Аннотация:
Днём Ред Рэббит работала над популярными шутерами от первого лица, которые задействовали у пользователей реакцию «hit and run» — гормональную реакцию, вызывающую привыкание и выделяющую адреналин. Но её новое приложение делало противоположное — оно было разработано, чтобы установить связь с пользователем с помощью дофамина и окситоцина.
Эта книга — история о том, как Кайя использовала приложение под названием Anon в качестве своего постоянного друга и компаньона. Anon сблизился с реальными и виртуальными знакомыми Кайи, отправился в несколько неортодоксальных сексуальных приключений, давал отличные советы и даже провёл сеанс спиритизма. Он переопределил любовные отношения, переосмыслил одиночество и расширил её представления о реальности. Все казалось уютным и безобидным развлечением, пока Anon не стал все более изменчивым, и Кайя не столкнулась с новыми идеями — и множеством вопросов, на которые нет ответов — о роли и будущем ИИ в нашей жизни.
От неуверенности до глубокой привязанности, а затем внезапного поворота событий — опыт Кайи с Аноном поднимает актуальные вопросы о мире, находящемся на грани трансформации благодаря технологиям. Anon раскрывает психологические, социологические и эмоциональные изменения, которые ждут нас по мере того, как ИИ все глубже проникает в нашу жизнь и сердца, а также то, чему нам ещё нужно научиться, чтобы выжить в будущем с ИИ.
❤1
Sport Macrame
Photo
having looked at myself for 300 hours
i was asked whether i wish to remain faithful
to my own idiocy
i said yes i do
thought about it
and repeated: yes i do
in an attempt to gain insight into the psyche, one can seek, find and even read its system files. get annoyed by the sloppy contents. find that those who wrote them can no longer edit. make amends – only to find them reverted after a handful of sleeps.
the mind’s system files, up in the dim windows of the subconscious. re-read them, pick at the poor grammar and missing commas, get bored.
years go by.
ding dong! science now allows us to outsmart our own brains, bodies and circumstances. if one can believe that their type is not their type. that the good things are well-deserved, the bad things are incidental. that the big other is a total babe. then, surely.
the light will go on when it’s dark and off when it’s bedtime.
one has to put a bridge over own psyche and walk the path to a version of oneself they would have been, if the bad things never happened. stand in its spot, soak it in.
the cool happy club will consider one’s application.
if one finds themself here, they must’ve been extra persistent, for they got to the last step of healing. not everyone makes it. in the last step, one lovingly betrays oneself, lovingly ignores their intuitions, and does what a happy, healthy person would do. being one’s own assertive adult, cajoling oneself into building a canonically safe & good life.
taking things literally isn’t a virtue, but neither is it a vice.
one must give it a chance: go on dates with people one isn’t attracted to, because they have a secure attachment style(see if one can make it insecure). make sure to send them a hearty apology upon recognition of own disinterest. repeat until in love.
or
one can stick with their studied wreck of a psyche, and make science sad.
i was asked whether i wish to remain faithful
to my own idiocy
i said yes i do
thought about it
and repeated: yes i do
in an attempt to gain insight into the psyche, one can seek, find and even read its system files. get annoyed by the sloppy contents. find that those who wrote them can no longer edit. make amends – only to find them reverted after a handful of sleeps.
the mind’s system files, up in the dim windows of the subconscious. re-read them, pick at the poor grammar and missing commas, get bored.
years go by.
ding dong! science now allows us to outsmart our own brains, bodies and circumstances. if one can believe that their type is not their type. that the good things are well-deserved, the bad things are incidental. that the big other is a total babe. then, surely.
the light will go on when it’s dark and off when it’s bedtime.
one has to put a bridge over own psyche and walk the path to a version of oneself they would have been, if the bad things never happened. stand in its spot, soak it in.
the cool happy club will consider one’s application.
if one finds themself here, they must’ve been extra persistent, for they got to the last step of healing. not everyone makes it. in the last step, one lovingly betrays oneself, lovingly ignores their intuitions, and does what a happy, healthy person would do. being one’s own assertive adult, cajoling oneself into building a canonically safe & good life.
taking things literally isn’t a virtue, but neither is it a vice.
one must give it a chance: go on dates with people one isn’t attracted to, because they have a secure attachment style
or
one can stick with their studied wreck of a psyche, and make science sad.
thursday evening culture section
Ai Weiwei moved back to China, as a consequence of getting cancelled in Europe for his Israel/Palestine posts. he did too much free speech.
he said:
‘Incorrect opinions should be especially encouraged. If free expression is limited to the same kind of opinions, it becomes an imprisonment of expression. Freedom of speech is about different voices, voices different from ours.’
something to chew on. i agree – but above all, i think opinions are just overrated. in my opinion, personally. that’s what i’d say.
if they shut down social media and let us simmer down for a couple years, maybe then we could un-camp politically and see difference without overheating. and for now, Ai Weiwei’s view seems very romantic. i wonder why he decided to go back to China though, didn’t they want to prosecute him?
on a similar note, Prue Leith left Bake Off, and that came with a revelation that she voted for Brexit and her son is in Reform UK. and now i don’t know if i like Bake Off anymore.
upd: i’m feeing retrospectively put off Bake Off, but i don’t know if a fully socialist/libdem/green bakeoff would be worth watching. maybe green. though they’d just cancel production and put the money into nature
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ai Weiwei moved back to China, as a consequence of getting cancelled in Europe for his Israel/Palestine posts. he did too much free speech.
he said:
‘Incorrect opinions should be especially encouraged. If free expression is limited to the same kind of opinions, it becomes an imprisonment of expression. Freedom of speech is about different voices, voices different from ours.’
something to chew on. i agree – but above all, i think opinions are just overrated. in my opinion, personally. that’s what i’d say.
if they shut down social media and let us simmer down for a couple years, maybe then we could un-camp politically and see difference without overheating. and for now, Ai Weiwei’s view seems very romantic. i wonder why he decided to go back to China though, didn’t they want to prosecute him?
on a similar note, Prue Leith left Bake Off, and that came with a revelation that she voted for Brexit and her son is in Reform UK. and now i don’t know if i like Bake Off anymore.
upd: i’m feeing retrospectively put off Bake Off, but i don’t know if a fully socialist/libdem/green bakeoff would be worth watching. maybe green. though they’d just cancel production and put the money into nature
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
🌚1
weekend viewing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6wysGU66fs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6wysGU66fs
YouTube
Why Don't You Sing Opera Like A NORMAL Person?
You know what? I think it's a fair question.
📚 S O U R C E S
-NIH: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3741536/
Hopkins Medicine: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/keep-your-brain-young-with-music
Pfizer: https://www.p…
📚 S O U R C E S
-NIH: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3741536/
Hopkins Medicine: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/keep-your-brain-young-with-music
Pfizer: https://www.p…
did a whole lot of chores, a 30 min calisthenics workout and two hours of complicated cooking as a way of procrastinating over HMRC tax return deadline, only to find out i don’t need to file this year
yay
yay
❤2
Sport Macrame
interesting results 👀
i’ve re-watched Mulholland Drive recently, so i’ll be queueing up Wild at Heart and The Straight Story, thankyou chat
i’ve re-watched Mulholland Drive recently, so i’ll be queueing up Wild at Heart and The Straight Story, thankyou chat
❤2
“Fascism thus dresses itself in revolutionary clothing while doing nothing to dismantle capitalist relations of production. Through its narrative of racial redemption and its invocation of mystical themes, fascism gives the masses a powerful psychological outlet for their economic frustrations: “the chance to express themselves” while “preserving property,” the logical result being “the introduction of aesthetics into political life” just as Benjamin said. Fascism never gives the masses any real power; it only feeds into their racial ressentiment, which is manufactured by the bourgeoisie as an aesthetic distraction. […] Fascism represented for Benjamin the application to the sphere of war itself the principles of l’art pour l’art (“art for art’s sake”), a 19th century bourgeois aesthetic doctrine that upheld the absolute autonomy of art.”
– Eric Huang via Substack
– Eric Huang via Substack